Cabinet officials snub Senate probe on Duterte arrest

Cabinet officials, including Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, have refused to attend Senate investigations into the arrest and detention of former President Rodrigo Duterte, citing executive privilege and the subjudice rule.

Their absence resulted in a "total snub" of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing, chaired by Sen. Imee Marcos, leading her to question if this was an evasion of liability.

Key absent officials included Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, and National Security Council Director General Eduardo Año.

Other officials who skipped the hearing were Philippine Center on Transnational Crime Executive Director Anthony Alcantara, PNP Chief Rommel Marbil, and PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Director Nicolas Torre III.

The Palace argues that executive officials have exhaustively answered questions in a previous hearing.

In response to the continued absence, the Senate panel has issued subpoenas to compel the attendance of the absent executive officials.

The investigation concerns the arrest of former President Duterte and his turnover to The Hague, which President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stated was based on the Philippines' commitment to Interpol regarding an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant.